


What You Mean to Me

by ami_ven



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Community: mcsheplets, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-11
Updated: 2014-02-11
Packaged: 2018-01-11 22:59:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1178976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ami_ven/pseuds/ami_ven
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John and Rodney get stuck off-world for Christmas, but somehow find the true meaning of the season.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What You Mean to Me

**Author's Note:**

> written for LJ community "mcsheplets" prompt #139 "holiday"

For some reason, the DHD wasn’t working.

Well, okay, there was a very specific reason the DHD wasn’t working, which involved solar flares, the orbits of PX-920’s three moons, and whatever it was in the atmosphere that made the sky seem greener than John was used to. He’d tuned out most of Rodney’s explanation, which boiled down to the fact that the two of them were stuck on the planet for at least three more days.

And that night was Christmas Eve.

Rodney seemed less concerned by that than John did. “It’s a celebration of rampant consumerism,” he said, as they lit their campfire that night. “And noise, and— have you ever experienced winter in Canada? It’s like Antarctica, only with more freezing rain and terrible drivers.”

“And you thought I had a crappy childhood,” John snorted.

“I just never understood why everyone gets so worked up about Christmas. All that extra work and stress, just for ungrateful relatives. Picking out gifts that people are just going to return or regift, because it’s ‘bad form’ to just give them money. And did I mention the crappy weather?”

“C’mon, Rodney,” said John. “There’s got to be some part of the holiday you like.”

“Hmm,” said Rodney. “I do like the food. Cookies, eggnog… I even like fruitcake. But what I always liked best about Christmas was the fact that the labs were finally quiet, and I could work without being surrounded by idiots— and, yes, I have read _A Christmas Carol_ , so no Scrooge jokes, thank you.”

John held up his hands, defensively. “Wasn’t even thinking it.”

“Uh-huh.” Rodney poked at the embers of their fire with a long stick, then sighed. “I guess I just never saw the point. As far as I could tell, happy Christmases were built on happy childhood memories, which I didn’t exactly have, and Jeannie and I weren’t on all-that-friendly terms even before we stopped talking… It seemed easier to just ignore the entire holiday season until after New Year’s.”

“Yeah,” said John. He’d worked through his share of holidays, taking extra duty shifts so the guys with families could go home. But he’d never completely ignored Christmas. “Yeah, maybe the holidays haven’t always been the best. But maybe they don’t have to keep being as bad as you remember.”

“Hmm,” said Rodney again, more thoughtfully.

John stood and grabbed his tac vest. “I’m going to take another patrol,” he said, and Rodney waved absently, already thinking hard.

Several teams from Atlantis had already confirmed that PX-920 was uninhabited, with nothing of significant danger except boredom, so John took the long way around their camp, hands resting lightly on his P-90, enjoying the view of unfamiliar stars.

When he got back, he had a moment of worry at finding Rodney still sitting where he’d left him beside the fire, but as John came closer, he saw the collection of objects around the scientist’s feet. There were rocks covered in shiny silver PowerBar wrappers, reddish not-pinecones coated in sparkly silica dust, and sprigs of the bright red grape-sized berries they were _absolutely not to eat_ , each with a loop of wire at its top.

“Hey,” said John, surprised. “What’s all this?”

Rodney looked up, blushing faintly, but he said, “Even you should be able to recognize Christmas ornaments.”

“They’re nice,” said John, plopping down beside him. 

“I kept thinking about that movie Radek made us watch,” said Rodney. “How Kris and Jessica got married in the woods… and they put all the decorations on the trees. It’s still overrated, but… I might be staring to understand the basic message of the holidays. You know, goodwill to men, and spending time with people you— people who are important.”

“Yeah?” John asked, smiling. “You find a tree for these?”

“Not yet.”

John held out his hand. “Come on, then. Picking one out is half the fun.”

Rodney took it, allowing John to pull him to his feet. 

“You know,” the scientist said, after a moment. “Jeannie invited me to come for Christmas, some time. I… I’d like you to come with me.”

It didn’t sound like a question, but John knew it was. He grinned. “I’d love to.”

THE END

**Author's Note:**

> Radek’s movie was _Santa Claus Is Coming to Town_ (the stop-motion, Rankin-Bass classic) which is also where the title for this comes from.


End file.
